Draper platforms are a type of header for an agricultural combine that use side to side belt conveyors rather than augers to carry crop material that is cut from the field by a cutter bar. These conveyors extend laterally from opposite lateral ends of the platform to a central region of the header. A central conveyor disposed between the two lateral conveyors receives crop from both the lateral conveyors and carries the crop rearward to the inlet of a feeder house which then carries the crop to the combine vehicle for threshing, separating and cleaning.
Normally, the lateral transport of the crop is only performed by the lateral belt conveyors. Some types of crop, like rape, tend to collect between the cutter bar and the back sheets of the header and build accumulations that the belt cannot remove. It was tried to remove such accumulations by laterally extending top augers mounted above the lateral belt conveyors. The top augers engage the crop material near the back sheets and keep the flow of material moving towards the central conveyor of the platform. However, if the auger speed is not closely matched to the speed of the lateral belt conveyors, the auger flights can disrupt the flow of crop material.
What is needed therefore is an improved top conveyor arrangement for mounting above the lateral belt conveyors of a draper platform that improves the lateral crop feeding process but is less dependent on the feeding speed of the lateral belt conveyors. It is an object of this invention to provide such a conveyor arrangement.